


Unswerving

by vinetini



Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Dragon Quest XI Act II Spoilers, Father Figures, Gen, Hero | Luminary is Named Eleven | El (Dragon Quest XI), Hints of Hendrik/Jasper, Other, Self-Hatred, Unfinished, platonic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23026144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vinetini/pseuds/vinetini
Summary: He is the Luminary's unswerving companion. If no apology can suffice for his sins, Hendrik's life must compensate. It was simple, almost comforting to know that he would likely die protecting the true hero of Heliodor and perhaps find a measure of peace knowing he had done his duty truly right for once in his life.Eleven seemed to have other ideas.
Relationships: Graig | Hendrik & Hero | Luminary
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A series of drabble fics centering around Hendrik and the Luminary, starting with the Last Bastion. This fic is written as platonic and is mainly centered around Hendrik as a fatherly figure, so sorry if you're looking for ship material (I love the dynamic they have as the game goes on, and I want to explore it a little more). As tagged above, there will be hints of Jasper/Hendrik but it's not going to dominate the fic and is more a source of regret for our knight.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the prologue, because more (and longer) chapters are on the way.

He allowed his new nickname ‘The Hero’ only for the sake of the people – a signal for those cowering in fear to make their way towards the Last Bastion and seek shelter. Many refugees arrived, whether escorted by himself personally or encouraged by former Helidorian guards seeking out one last glimmer of hope in the area. Between the deadly monsters prowling the lands and the scorched earth that left scarred dangerous terrain across Erdrea, the people needed a Hero to believe in more than anything.

In truth, he hated the name with every fiber of his being.

A hero would have believed in the Luminary, a kindhearted boy of only seventeen (and just yet sixteen when they had first met, blue eyes so innocent) who had never done him any harm.

A hero would have noticed the changes in his King’s demeanor, the firm but compassionate personality of his liege replaced with callousness and ruthless orders that he followed despite his own hesitations. 

A hero would have paid more attention to his oldest friend, reached out a hand to his knight wrapped in darkness and bitterness as the forces of evil played with his soul.

Even Jade who he sworn to protect with his life had been treated poorly and carelessly in his own foolishness. Thinking about the _arrogance_ he displayed after she begged him to consider his stance on the Luminary in the ruins of Dundrasil almost made him sick to think back on it.

And yet, despite his arrogance and failures, the people cheered as he defended the gates of the Last Bastion with the Luminary in tow. The people of Cobblestone whose village he had failed to protect, the weary smiles of the travelers from Heliodor who believed that he and Jasper would protect the castle forevermore, the refugees hailing from all walks of life chanting and clapping for the two ‘heroes’ standing victorious…

There was only one true hero in the Last Bastion. It was not Hendrik.

It was a boy with far too much weight on his shoulders, sky blue eyes older than they should be and hands calloused with months of near-fatal combat. His adoptive mother had asked Hendrik to promise to look after her boy as he had prepared his equipment for the long journey ahead, and the guilt he felt looking into her sweet face had almost consumed him on the spot. The Cobblestone people were honest folk, kindhearted and trusting. And yet, he had seen Jasper _excited_ at the prospect of slaughter and beyond being momentarily disturbed at his friend's bloodlust, failed to press the issue further than an argument in the village square over what to do with the townsfolk.

He had saved them from slaughter, only to send them into confinement for crimes they had not committed. And yet his nickname of hero persisted.

Nevertheless, he had sworn to himself– sworn with his entire soul to protect the true hero not yet an adult, leaving behind his friends and family to destroy Mordegon and the horrors he had inflicted upon the land. He would be dead in the ground before the forces of evil touched a single hair on Eleven’s head.

This was what he lived for, now.


	2. Manglegrove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [As valiantly as he attempted to remain unbothered, the Luminary was now shooting him dubious looks as they hacked their way through thick twisting vines covering the patch up ahead.
> 
> “Hendrik, are you well? Did that plant we fought earlier poison you?” the other inquired, eyebrows furrowed in slight concern. ]

Hendrik wasn’t one for unnecessary chatter while travelling and it seemed the Luminary preferred to save his words in a similar manner. They’d defeated Tyriant and restored day and night back to Heliodor, but Hendrik still felt off-kilter after encountering the corrupted, warped version of his oldest friend back in the castle. He tried to banish the memory of Jasper’s twisted grin from his mind, resolving to focus instead on the long trek ahead of them through the overgrown Manglegrove. They were currently heading to Mount Pang Lai, a large monolith allegedly connected to the history of the Luminary. Although Hendrik was not unfamiliar with long treks with men under his command for weeks on end, the scenery was unfortunately not a respite for his thoughts.

“Is there a way through this grove that isn’t so overgrown?” he questioned uneasily, finally breaking the silence between the two of them.

Eleven simply shook his head, raising an eyebrow in inquiry.

“It is nothing” Hendrik replied, trying to keep his eyes darting around at the heavy bush around them.

He was now the Luminary’s unswerving companion, his sword and shield. This was his chance to prove his loyalty and to redeem himself for his failures.

It was NOT the time to let his pathetic fear of insects get the better of him.

And yet, the low thrum of insects and buzzing noises kept him on edge as they pressed further into the grove. The mixture of demons and monsters currently residing deep in the green foliage were hardly of consequence to the two warriors, but every noise buzzing past his ears made him want to whirl around in place.

As valiantly as he attempted to remain unbothered, the Luminary was now shooting him dubious looks as they hacked their way through thick twisting vines covering the patch up ahead.

“Hendrik, are you well? Did that plant we fought earlier poison you?” the other inquired, eyebrows furrowed in slight concern.

“I am fine, thank you” Hendrik coughed, willing himself to keep a straight face as embarrassment flooded through him.

This was ridiculous. He was a grown man now, not a child begging Don Rodrigo to kill the spider in the training rooms in Puerto –

**“GAH!”**

Hendrik spluttered and coughed as webbing covered his face, cursing as a spider fall onto his shoulder. He swung for the miscreant but missed entirely as the spider dropped onto his shoe, instead belting himself on the shoulder.

With an aggravated grunt, he kicked his boot forward, sending the big black insect flying into a nearby bush with a snarl. He hurriedly wiped the spider web off his shoulders, freezing in embarrassment as the sound of quiet laughter floated through the breeze.

Eleven had a smile on his face the likes of which Hendrik had not seen before, a shaking hand covering his mouth as tiny giggles escaped. Hendrik valiantly attempted to stop his cheeks flushing, embarrassed at the ridiculous display he just put on for the savior of Erdrea.

“Forgive me. I… I have never been very comfortable around insects” he muttered, shame coursing through his veins.

“It’s alright. It’s nice to see even a great knight of Heliodor has fears” Eleven replied, smile genuine as he ducked under a large branch in their way.

Hendrik grunted, following him through the underbrush. It was still embarrassing, and yet… this journey would go smoother if Luminary believed he was not made of stone. He hoped the other at the very least was not afraid of Hendrik’s sword in his back.

At the very least, the air between them was a little lighter – it seemed a slight tension had left the Luminary’s shoulders that had accumulated ever since he had left with Hendrik.

 _‘How must I look to you?_ ’ Hendrik wondered to himself, following the smaller figure ahead of him as the sun lowered in the sky.

* * *

As night fell, they knew not to press any further – wandering around the thick jungle with no visibility was an easy way to get injured or worse. And if wanting to avoid large insects was another bonus for settling down for the night… well, the Luminary didn’t seem to mind either way.

In fact, the younger man seemed strangely listless as he sat by the fire he had stoked, staring blankly into the pot he had positioned over the flames. They had agreed that Hendrik would set up camp for the night while the other started on their dinner, but the Luminary looked strangely bereft as he stared down into the flickering flames of light.

“Is something the matter?” Hendrik inquired softly, making his way over to the other after lowering his equipment to the ground.

Eleven bit his lip, expression pensive as orange light danced in the reflection of his eyes.

“It’s been a while since I was in charge of the cooking alone… Serena knew exactly which flavours to pair with which, and Erik always had some weird ingredient he’d picked up somewhere on hand…” Eleven trailed off, eyes distant and shoulders slumped.

Hendrik bit back a wince. Of course he would rather be travelling with his closest companions, those who supported him through thick and thin while Hendrik threatened their lives. As to whether they even _lived_ or not anymore, neither of them knew. Hendrik knew that the Luminary had been admirably controlling his emotions on the matter, but right now he just looked like a scared, lost boy wanting his friends around.

Clearing his throat, Hendrik bent down and surveyed through the ingredients the two had between them in a black bag on the ground.

“I am no chef, but I remember these roots being a good base ingredient for nutritious stews. When we soldiers were out training in the wild, they were a reliable source of energy” Hendrik explained, pointing towards curled white roots with fine hair covering their skin.

“A stew… I can do that. My mother prepared us some ingredients that would be good…” Eleven replied thoughtfully, rummaging through the bag.

And so, the two spent their first night camping together cobbling together a nutritious stew, carefully adding the ingredients Eleven’s mother had lovingly picked out and the roots Hendrik recognized from his training. The delicious smell of food wafting through the heavy night air, the comforting crackling of the fire and their shared culinary effort bearing fruit had put them both in a lighter mood. The Luminary had requested a few stories from Hendrik’s early years of knight training and he had acquiesced, the nostalgia of the old stories and the small smiles from the Luminary as he told them warming him from the inside.

He had intended to protect the Luminary with his life whether or not the other resented him. But as Hendrik lay on his back waiting for sleep to claim him, his belly full of warm stew and the soft snores of the young hero beside him, he was glad that the distance between them had shortened if only a little.


End file.
